MAYOR’S BET: Enid Mayor Ernie Currier and Jenks Mayor Vic Vreeland have made a friendly wager on tonight’s game.
The mayor of the losing team will don the opponent’s jersey and ring a bell for the Salvation Army at a highly visible location in their home community.
Carr’s pep talk: Former Enid star Lydell Carr, now in the auto sales industry in Dallas, said previous commitments to charity events will prevent him from traveling to the championship game.
But he offered the Plainsmen words of encouragement.
“You can’t let someone count you out just on paper,’’ said Carr. “You have to go in with the approach you can beat anybody. Just play your hearts out like you’ve been doing all year long.’’
Good luck charm: An Enid alum (Class of 1973) living in Yukon sent Enid standout Austin Box a memento for good luck.
Jim Hinkle read a preseason story that Box’s favorite player of all time was Mickey Mantle. Hinkle had an obituary card from Mantle’s funeral that had a poem about Mantle. The card was autographed by former Yankee great Bobby Richardson.
For good luck, Hinkle mailed the card to Box.
New haircuts: Many of the Plainsmen will look a little different for tonight’s game. That’s because a good number of them will be sporting Mohawk haircuts. Linebacker Dylan Smith went even further. He got the unique haircut, then dyed it blue.
rematch: Enid and Jenks squared off in a preseason scrimmage, a two-quarter affair the Trojans won 17-13 on a last-second touchdown pass. Jenks coach Allan Trimble said Box made an impression.
“Austin reminds me of (former Jenks great) Rocky (Calmus) when Rocky was in high school,’’ said Trimble. “He’s big and strong and fast. Like I said after our (preseason) scrimmage, Austin is a war daddy. He’s a competitor. You want that kind of kid on your side. He’s a dominant high school player. You can’t block him and you can’t tackle him with one guy. In all the film we’ve seen, Austin has been the fastest guy on the field.’’
Valuable backups: Enid defensive coordinator Tommy Parker said Enid’s playoff success is due in large part to many scout-team players who help the team prepare for an opponent in practice.
He said the speedy Michael Cotton has been effective as a scout team running back, and many sophomore linemen have played important roles in helping the team get ready.
TRIMBLE VS. COBBLE: Trimble and Enid coach Tom Cobble have never coached against one another in a real game. They met before this season in a two-quarter scrimmage.
“We haven’t talked that much over the years,’’ said Trimble. “But this year we have talked a lot.’’
film review: Trimble has film of each of Enid’s three playoff games, and he has been impressed.
“I would like to find a film they didn’t look good in,’’ he said.
Getting there: Take the Cimarron Turnpike to Tulsa. Take I-244 to the Delaware-Harvard exit. Go south on Delaware to 11th Street. Turn east on 11th Street to Skelly Stadium. Parking is free in the campus lots at the stadium. Enid is the home team. Enid fans sit on the west side of the stadium.
Extra points: Tonight’s game is the 1,009th in Enid history. Enid has a record of 562-400-46 since 1908. ... Jenks is averaging 75 penalty yards per game. Enid is averaging 53 yards in penalties. ... Jenks quarterback Mark Ginther has thrown just two interceptions in the last 10 games. During one stretch, he threw 134 passes without an interception. .... Just as he has for all three playoff games, Box will jog to the visitor’s end zone just before the opening kickoff, take a knee and offer a silent prayer. ... A large media contingent will be covering the game. The News & Eagle will have three writers, two photographers and one multi-media person staffing the game. Two Enid radio stations and a station that covers Jenks will broadcast the game. Several writers and photographers will cover the game from the metro newspapers, and many television outlets will be on hand, including KSBI (channel 16), which will broadcast the game live to a statewide audience. Most of the metro television stations will file reports, and several prep magazines and scouting services will be on hand.
